Felis nigripes

– Vulnerable

Taxonomy

Kingdom:	ANIMALIA
Phylum:	CHORDATA
Class:	MAMMALIA
Order:	CARNIVORA
Family:	FELIDAE
Scientific Name:	Felis nigripes
Species Authority:	Burchell, 1824
Common Name/s:	BLACK-FOOTED CAT (Eng) SMALL-SPOTTED CAT (Eng) CHAT À PIEDS NOIRS (Fre) GATO DE PIES NEGROS (Spa) GATO PATINEGRO (Spa)

Assessment Information

Red List Category & Criteria:

VU C2a(i) ver 3.1 (2001)

Year Assessed:

2002

Assessor/s:

Cat Specialist Group

Evaluator/s:

Nowell, K., Breitenmoser, U., Breitenmoser, C. & Jackson, P. (Cat Red List Authority)

Justification:

Based on estimates of geographic range and average densities (Nowell and Jackson 1996, A. Sliwa in litt.), the black-footed cat’s total effective population size is estimated at below 10,000 mature breeding individuals, with a declining trend due to loss of prey base and persecution, and no subpopulation containing more than 1,000 mature individuals.

History:

1996

Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range

Range Description:

The black-footed cat is restricted to the arid lands of Southern Africa (Nowell and Jackson 1996).

Countries:

Native:

Botswana; Namibia; South Africa

Uncertain presence and origin:

Angola

Population

Population:	Most authorities have described it as a naturally rare species (Stuart and Wilson 1988, Skinner and Smithers 1990). Still, it is locally common at certain localities in South Africa, especially in the Orange Free State and northern Cape (J. Visser, A. Sliwa in lit.).
Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is typically associated with open, sandy, grassy habitats with sparse shrub and tree cover, such as the Kalahari and Karoo regions (Smithers 1971 and 1975, Visser 1977, Mills et al. 1984, Stuart and Wilson 1988, Sliwa 1993).

System:

Terrestrial

List of Habitats:

2.1	Savanna - Dry
4.5	Grassland - Subtropical/Tropical Dry
8.1	Desert - Hot

Threats

Threats:

Indiscriminate methods of predator control could be a significant threat, although farmers seldom report capturing black-footed cats in problem animal surveys (Joubert et al. 1982, Stuart and Wilson 1988). Farmers in South Africa and Namibia consider the similar-looking African wildcat a predator of small livestock, and set out steel-jaw traps and poisoned bait to get rid of them (Joubert et al. 1982, Vorster 1988). Carcass poisoning for jackal control may be a threat. A similar threat is poisoning of locusts, which are food for the black-footed cat. Finally, overgrazing by livestock is prevalent throughout the species range, and habitat deterioration can lead to reductions of the cat’s small vertebrate prey base (A. Sliwa pers. comm.).

List of Threats:

4.1.2.3	Accidental mortality - Bycatch - Terrestrial - Poisoning (ongoing)
8.3	Changes in native species dynamics - Prey/food base (ongoing)

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions:

Included on CITES Appendix I and protected by national legislation across most of its range (Nowell and Jackson 1996). Hunting of this species is banned in Botswana and South Africa.

List of Conservation Actions:

1.2.2.1	Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - International level (in place)
1.2.2.2	Policy-based actions - Legislation - Implementation - National level (in place)

Bibliography

Bibliography:

Baillie, J. and Groombridge, B. (compilers and editors) 1996. 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland.

Cat Specialist Group. For more information, see the Specialist Group website

IUCN. 2002. 2002 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Downloaded on 8 October 2002.

Joubert, E., Mosbach, D. and Wallis, V. 1982. The 1982 distribution patterns and status of some mammals on farms in South West Africa. Unpublished report. Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Windhoek.

Mills, M.G.L., Nel, J.A.J. and Bothma, J. du P. 1984. Notes on some smaller carnivores from the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park. Koedoe Supplement 221-227.

Nowell, K. and Jackson, P. (compilers and editors) 1996. Wild Cats. Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan. IUCN/SSC Cat Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. (online version)

Skinner, J.D. and Smithers, R.H.N. 1990. The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion, second edition University of Pretoria, Pretoria. South Africa.

Sliwa, A. 1993. A habitat description and first data on ecology and behaviour of the black-footed cat Felis nigripes in the Kimberley area, South Africa. In: G. Ulbricht and U. Schürer (eds). International studbook for the black-footed cat, 1992. Zoologischer Garten Stadt Wuppertal. pp 8-16

Smithers, R.H.N. 1971. The mammals of Botswana. Museum Memoir, National Museum of Rhodesia 4:1-340.

Smithers, R.H.N. 1975. Family Felidae. In: J. Meester and H.W. Setzer (eds). The mammals of Africa: an identification manual. Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C. Part 8.1. pp. 1-10.

Stuart, C.T. and Wilson, V.J. 1988. The cats of southern Africa. Chipangali Wildlife Trust, Bulawayo.

Visser, J. 1977. The small cats. African Wildlife 31(1): 26-28.

Vorster, F. 1988. Vraelysopname van die roofdierverwant kleinveeverliese in die Nuwe-Roggeveld Afdelingsraadgebied van die Kaapprovinsie. [Survey of predator-related small stock losses in the Nuwe-Roggeveld district of the Cape province.] Bontebok 6:26-29 (in Afrikaans).

Citation:	Cat Specialist Group 2002. Felis nigripes. In: IUCN 2007. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 04 July 2008.
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